Dear Hutchinson Public School Staff and Families,
Each Friday the Reno County Health Department releases the 14-day PTR (positive test rate) and the 14-day new case average. The data released dictates the gating criteria color we follow for the coming week. COVID-19 in Reno County continues to trend upward.
Reno County is in the RED Zone for the week of Oct. 26, 2020. USD 308 schools will be in the remote learning mode all next week.
Currently the numbers are:
• 14-Day PTR, 10/23 – 21.9%
• 14-day New Case Count, 10/23 – 356 cases
The Medical Collaboration following the guidelines of the CDC, KDHE and KSDE do not recommend in-person school in the RED zone. We do have verbal approval from KSDE and direction from our Board of Education to work towards bringing small groups of students back. We have been working on a plan to present to our Board of Education on Oct. 26.
We need to work together as a community taking measures to decrease our case counts in Reno County, so that we can move our gating metrics to Orange, Yellow or Green.
We encourage our teachers, parents, students and their grandparents who live in Reno County to be tested at the Free Community Testing Events. We need our community to take personal responsibility to social distance, wear a mask, wash hands and stay home when they are ill. Reno County Health Order 20-03 has been put into place due to our extremely high case count, high PTR and HRMC Covid-19 positive cases are increasing. This limits mass gatherings to 100 people, this does not include public and private business/school functions. However, social distancing of more than 6 feet is highly recommended at work, and mandated at sporting events and social functions.
Sincerely,
Mike Folks,
Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent
Even with remote learning, some concerts at Hutchinson High School will go on this fall in USD 308.
The gating criteria allows for varsity-level extra-curricular and co-curricular activities as HHS with limited crowds. The week of Oct. 26 will have four vocal music concerts, under the direction of Roger Wilson, that will be performed in the HHS Performing Arts Center.
Tuesday, Oct. 27
• Hutchinson High School Concert Choir Concert, 7 p.m., Performing Arts Center
• Hutchinson High School Belle Voce Choir Concert, 8 p.m., Performing Arts Center
Thursday, Oct. 29
• Hutchinson High School Harmonics Concert, 7 p.m., Performing Arts Center
• Hutchinson High School Expressives Concert, 8 p.m., Performing Arts Center
There are breaks between the concerts to each night to allow for cleaning of the center between groups.
Then at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, HHS fall jazz concert will be performed under the direction of Daryl Koestel.
The concerts will be aired on YouTube for family and community members who cannot attend in person.
Remember, Friday, Oct. 23, is an early release day for secondary students. There is no school for PreK through sixth grades.
Remember that the Book Fair is this week! The Book Fair will be open from 7:30 AM to 4 PM each day. Don't forget to send money with your kids so that they can check out the latest reads!
There is a PTO Meeting tonight at 7:30 in the auditorium. We will be discussing the budget for next year.
Welcome to Hutchinson Public Schools's new website and mobile app!
Hutchinson Public Schools online registration is open for the 2020-21 school year.
You must log in to Skyward to enroll your returning student: http://skyward.usd308.com/
To enroll new students in USD 308, please visit your student's school.
For families who will learn remotely in 2020-21, we have a new video that explains our remote learning webpage. https://bit.ly/3gRGTnn
#308pride
Welcome Back! Superintendent Mike Folks has a quick message on the eve of a new school year. https://bit.ly/2EYaIW6
Superintendent Mike Folks has a message about a successful start to the 2020-21 school year: https://bit.ly/3jILbPy